Jake Vile, a recent graduate from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences recently joined the Illinois State Water Survey, a division of the Prairie Research Institute. Jake's passion for weather began at a young age, and he plans to further his studies with a M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences at the University at Albany this fall. At PRI, he contributes to the MITTEN-CI project, focusing on collecting and analyzing meteorological data. His diverse research background includes work at Argonne National Laboratory, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, and the University of Queensland in Australia. Jake's dedication and enthusiasm, combined with his extensive global experience, make him an asset to our team. We sat down with Jake to learn more about his experience and plans.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at PRI.
In May 2024, I graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences. This fall, I plan to attend the University at Albany to pursue a M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences. I’ll be studying the effects of hurricane ventilation with Dr. Kristen Corbosiero and Dr. Brian Tang, focusing on relating current theories to observations obtained from field campaigns.
At PRI, I was hired specifically for the Maritime to Inland Transitions towards Environment for Convection Initiation (MITTEN-CI) project with Dr. David Kristovich. My primary role involves:
- Collecting flux tower and lidar data
- Launching weather balloons
- Performing basic quality control on the data
Due to the frequency of intense operation periods (IOP), I can’t perform a full analysis until a later date.
Last summer, I worked at Argonne National Laboratory on the Community Research on Climate and Urban Science (CROCUS) project with Dr. Joe O’Brien and Dr. Scott Collis. My past research experiences also include internships at:
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, where I researched warm conveyor belt ascent in an ocean with rising sea surface temperatures
- University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where I created a new algorithm to automatically detect Pyrocumulonimbus clouds from radar and satellite
What drew you to your area of work or study?
I can trace the event that drew me to Atmospheric Sciences to a particular day. I was six at the time, and my parents took me to Wrigley Field to watch a Cubs game. They played the first few innings as normal, but suddenly gameplay was halted due to incoming inclement weather. I will never forget what the sky looked like when they announced the delay: a massive shelf cloud lined the sky as far as the eye could see. Since I was in Chicago, a major metropolitan area, it truly was a spectacle to behold.
Ever since that fateful day, I have been hooked on studying weather. The more I learned, the more I realized how much we don't know about how weather works. Sure, we know enough to make somewhat accurate forecasts, but we still only have theories at best for how tornadoes form, how thunderstorms transition into hurricanes, etc.
That’s what excites me so much about this field—there is always more to learn! For someone with a curious mind, this is amazing, and I love that this field campaign at PRI is actively trying to understand how weather, specifically lake breezes in Michigan, works so we can make better forecasts.
What questions do you get asked most frequently about your career?
The question I get asked the most is, “What does it feel like to be in a career where you can be wrong almost all of the time and still have a job?”
Obviously, this question is geared more towards broadcast meteorologists (and not research meteorologists like myself), but the fact that the question is being asked in the first place is the exact reason why I have a job! We don’t know what the weather will be like in one hour with 100% certainty, let alone tomorrow. It’s nearly impossible to predict the future about anything with perfect accuracy, yet we still love to use the best information available to make guesses.
To some, this may be daunting due to the immense level of unpredictability, but not to me. We have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge about the weather in recent years, but there’s still so much that we need to solve. That’s why I’m so excited to help make the world a better place!
What advice would you give to those just starting out in your field?
My biggest piece of advice to people just starting out in this career, especially those who are just beginning to take classes in meteorology, is to seek connections.
It is through my professional network that I have been able to get most of the internships I have had. It is through connections that I’ve been able to work on so many different, unique projects that have taken me all over the globe. And it will be through connections that I will be able to continue my career in meteorology in the future.
One of the greatest things about the Atmospheric Sciences community is that it is so small and welcoming. Everyone knows each other, and people from all over the world eagerly attend the AMS Conference each year. When I attended the conference this year, I saw familiar faces from my previous internships and was introduced to so many new people, including potential graduate school advisors.
My network is my greatest tool when it comes to finding different opportunities in the field, and it will continue to be so going forward. Start trying to build your network now! Attend the annual AMS Conference, as basically everyone in meteorology attends, and it is an amazing experience!
What do you do in your free time?
In my free time, the number one thing I love to do is travel. I was fortunate to travel extensively during my college years, and I can proudly say that I have been to more countries than US states, visiting 52 countries and all 50 states!
I’ve been to places as diverse as Patagonia, Japan, Iceland, and Fiji. I love exploring different cultures that exist on Earth, and by visiting all these different places, I love experiencing just how different, yet uniquely human, we all are.
I’ve also worked in three different countries around the world, and it’s been amazing to study unique meteorological hazards specific to those countries. Not only do I learn a lot more about the meteorology relevant to each country, but I also work to build my network, expanding my connections beyond just those relevant to the United States so I can truly become a world-renowned scientist.